1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to systems for concentrating oxygen from ambient air, and, more particularly, to a system including a portable component and a stationary component.
2. Description of the Related Art
For patients having a need for home based oxygen therapy, compressed gas tank deliveries can be inconvenient and expensive. Oxygen tanks provide a limited supply and require a great deal of storage space within the home, particularly where a patient's usage is high. As a result, there is a need for systems for generating oxygen in the home, such that an essentially unlimited supply of oxygen can be provided.
Home oxygen concentrators, typically employing a pressure swing adsorption system to separate oxygen from air, are capable of providing continuous oxygen delivery in the range of about 1-6 liters per minute. In general, for trips outside the home, patients using oxygen concentrators carry oxygen tanks that are delivered by an outside vendor, supplemental to the concentrator.
As an alternative to separate tanks, portable concentration systems have been developed to provide ambulatory patients with oxygen while away from the stationary system. In general, such portable systems have had a relatively low capacity due to weight and size constraints. One solution to this problem has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,346,139, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.